Species Inventories

California sea lions. NPS/T. Valerius

Bee (Halictus sp.). NPS/S. Whipple

North American porcupine. NPS/T. Valerius.

With the original round of 12 basic inventories largely complete, the Inventory Program now funds projects driven by and tailored to park needs. The focus is currently on the collection of new data on species occurrence, abundance, or distribution to inform park management decisions and planning. Once each year, park staff (or staff from their associated I&M networks, on behalf of park staff), submit proposals for review and selection by a regional panel. Additional guidance can be found on the Inventory Program's SharePoint page (NPS only).

Most inventory projects are completed in partnership with cooperators. Each inventory produces a report and dataset(s), as well as any other park-specific need. These products are designed to be used in park decisionmaking. For example, park managers may use information about the presence of a rare or threatened plant species to inform the location of a rerouted trail. Or the absence of a previously known frog may trigger species restoration efforts. Examples of completed inventory projects can be found below.

Completed Projects

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5484. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.